Biography
Justin Sinkovich is an associate professor and the Associate Chair of the Business and Entrepreneurship Department. He is currently teaching New Ventures in the Creative Marketplace (Entrepreneurship for Creatives MA), New Media Strategies (Master of Arts Management program), Self-Management and Freelancing, Creative Agency: Practicum, and the AEMMP Digital Distribution and Promotion Agency: Practicum.
Justin grew up in Nashville TN working summer jobs in the music industry and playing in bands. While earning a Business Administration bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, he started touring as a musician, releasing albums, promoting concerts, and helping run a small independent record label, File 13 Records. After graduation he started Landspeed Records, a record store and music venue in Knoxville that won “Best New Business” of the year in the local weekly paper, Metro Pulse. Justin accepted a sales and marketing position at Metro Pulse soon afterwards.
Justin moved to Chicago and began working in physical music distribution sales at Cargo Records, then as U.S. Label Manager at Southern Records overseeing publicity, radio, advertising, and artist relations. Justin then co-founded the legendary music discovery website Epitonic.com which won a Webby Award for online radio. Epitonic was acquired by Palm Pictures where Justin co-managed Epitonic and contributed to many music, film, and animation projects. Justin later started betterPropaganda and became the manager of File 13 Records. During this time he earned his Master's of Arts Management degree at Columbia College Chicago.
After earning his master's, Justin became the New Media Manager at Touch and Go Records. This position oversaw the company’s digital distribution and promotion of labels like Touch and Go, Kill Rock Stars, and Jade Tree, and artists including The Decemberists, The National, Sufjan Stevens, The Swell Season, and TV on the Radio. While working at Touch and Go, he began teaching digital marketing at Columbia part-time and became full-time in 2009. He remains an active entrepreneur, consultant, and is a Grammy-voting music producer and performer. He has owned and managed File 13 Records for the past 20 years, a label with over 100 releases in its catalog.
Instructional Areas
Digital Media Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Digital Distribution and Commerce, Web and Mobile Business, Entrepreneurship, Music Business, Music Production and Performance, Live Event and Tour Production
Creative Practice and Research Interests
Game Pedagogy, Digital and Social Media Marketing, Media Business
Degrees
B.S., Business Administration-Management University of Tennessee-Knoxville 1995
M.A.M., Music Business Management Columbia College Chicago 2007